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WASHINGTON (AP) – In a new setback for the health care law and the people it's supposed to help, the government said Friday it made a tax-reporting error that's fouling up the filings of nearly a million Americans.

Common Core determines what Tennessee’s K-12 students should know and when they should learn it, yet like many other issues it has become a political pariah, especially for the state’s Republican leaders.

The Memphis City Council approved changes to city health insurance coverage in June and pension coverage in December.

But later amendments to both sets of benefits, the city’s debt service payments, a 2010 restructuring of city debt, and the city’s annual required pension contribution are all factors that will influence city finances for years, said city finance director Brian Collins.

Two hours before the state Senate committee vote in Nashville that signaled the death of Gov. Bill Haslam’s Medicaid expansion proposal, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell said failure to pass the expansion could mean a county property tax hike to fund Shelby County’s public safety net hospital.

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell urged Tennessee legislators Wednesday, Feb. 4, to approve the proposed Insure Tennessee Medicaid expansion as the Legislature continues its special session in Nashville on the issue.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Medicare's top administrator unexpectedly resigned Friday, becoming the latest casualty in the turmoil over the president's health care law, which is still struggling for acceptance even as millions benefit from expanded coverage.

The end of the year hastens a season of resolutions about the year ahead, resolutions about what to include on the blank canvas of a new year.

No matter who you are, the road to 2015 starts at the same place – through the experience of 2014. With that in mind, we surveyed many of the people we’ve covered in these pages in the last year to talk about the possibilities ahead.

Retired air traffic controller Sterling King moved to Knoxville when his brother needed him. Five years later, he has fallen in love with the area and everything it has to offer.

Moderate weather, without the bone-chilling Northern winters or the searing heat of Florida summers, is a big draw, along with its location in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, says King, 58, who migrated from Dayton, Ohio, to Raleigh, North Carolina, and then to Knoxville.

WASHINGTON (AP) – On the eve of Veterans Day, the Veterans Affairs Department announced a reorganization Monday designed to make it easier for veterans to gain access to the sprawling department and its maze-like websites.

City of Memphis human resources director Quintin Robinson came from City Hall on the other side of the Main Street Mall last week to watch how Shelby County government handled changes to its health insurance plan for employees.

Shelby County Commissioners still have a problem with each other. And the problem at the center of all of the complexities of what are normally routine items remains a Democratic county commissioner elected chairman in September with the votes of all six Republican commissioners and himself.

When Dara Ashworth’s father died this spring after battling metastatic melanoma, she and her two sisters struggled with the best way to honor his life, his memory and his body.

Their father, Leonard Daniel Hamby, 64, a lab technician with the Tennessee Department of Health, didn’t have a specific plan, but the family knew enough about his wishes and knew that he didn’t want a traditional burial.

Insurers can no longer reject customers with expensive medical conditions thanks to the health care overhaul. But consumer advocates warn that companies are still using wiggle room to discourage the sickest – and costliest – patients from enrolling.

Central Defense Security has enhanced its yearly summer camp program for Memphis children.

The company, a leading provider of business, retail and warehouse security, teamed up with the City of Memphis Division of Parks and Neighborhoods for the third straight year to support the program, and the company sponsored more than 130 campers at 10 camps around the city.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Postal Service lost $2 billion this spring despite increasing its volume and charging consumers more money to send mail, officials said Monday.

The loss for the spring quarter, which ended June 30, was significantly higher than the $740 million loss for the same three-month period last year. The agency blamed increases in compensation and benefit costs for the red ink and said it would be unable to make a congressionally mandated payment of $5.7 billion this September for health benefits for future retirees. The loss came despite a 2 percent increase in operating revenue compared to last spring.

Central Defense Security has enhanced its yearly summer camp program for Memphis children.

The company, a leading provider of business, retail and warehouse security, teamed up with the City of Memphis Division of Parks and Neighborhoods for the third straight year to support the program, and the company sponsored more than 130 campers at 10 camps around the city.

A jump in pharmacy revenue fueled June sales growth for two of the nation's largest drugstore chains, and they may start adding gains from the health care overhaul later this year.

Walgreen Co. and Rite Aid Corp. said Thursday that pharmacy revenue from their established stores climbed more than 11 percent at Walgreen and 5 percent at Rite Aid last month. Walgreen runs the nation's largest drugstore chain with 8,215 stores, while Rite Aid ranks third with 4,754. The company in the middle, CVS Caremark Corp., doesn't report monthly results.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. economy shrank at a steep annual rate of 2.9 percent in the January-March quarter as a harsh winter contributed to the biggest contraction since the depths of the recession five years ago. But the setback is widely thought to be temporary, with growth rebounding solidly since spring.

WASHINGTON (AP) – When the government updates its estimate Wednesday of how the U.S. economy fared last quarter, the number is pretty sure to be ugly. Horrible even.

The economy likely shrank at an annual rate of nearly 2 percent in the January-March quarter, economists estimate. That would be its bleakest performance since early 2009 in the depths of the Great Recession.

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. banks' earnings declined 7.7 percent in the January-March quarter from a year earlier, as higher interest rates dampened demand for mortgage refinancing and reduced banks' revenue from the mortgage business.

Mind Over Data is one of those Memphis companies that tends to fly under the radar, even though its high-tech handiwork can be found across the country and easily touches the imagination of people who encounter it.

A measure of the U.S. economy’s health rose in March for the third consecutive month, a sign of stronger growth after harsh winter weather caused the economy’s pace to slow.

The Conference Board said Monday that its index of leading indicators increased 0.8 percent in March after a 0.5 percent rise in February and modest 0.2 percent gain in January. It was the best showing since a 0.9 percent gain in November.

A measure of the U.S. economy's health rose in March for the third consecutive month, a sign of stronger growth after harsh winter weather caused the economy's pace to slow.

The Conference Board said Monday that its index of leading indicators increased 0.8 percent in March after a 0.5 percent rise in February and modest 0.2 percent gain in January. It was the best showing since a 0.9 percent gain in November.

Ballet Memphis will present “Peter Pan,” a world premiere from the choreographer of “Cinderella” and “Wizard of Oz,” Saturday, April 12, and Sunday, April 13, at The Orpheum, 203 S. Main St. Buy tickets at balletmemphis.org.

NEW YORK (AP) – Microsoft will end support for the persistently popular Windows XP on Tuesday, and with an estimated 30 percent of businesses and consumers still using the 12-year-old operating system, the move could put everything from the operations of heavy industry to the identities of everyday people in danger.

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Memphis Medical Center partners will host Spring at the Park Thursday, April 3, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Health Sciences Park, at the corner of Madison Avenue and Dunlap Street. The event will include arts performances, food trucks and vendors. Cost is free. Call 576-7185.

Kiwanis Club of Memphis will meet Wednesday, April 2, from noon to 1 p.m. at The University Club of Memphis, 1346 Central Ave. National Civil Rights Museum president Beverly Robertson will speak. Cost is $18 for nonmembers.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. economy grew at a 2.6 percent annual rate in the October-December quarter, slightly more than previously estimated, as consumer spending rose at the fastest pace in three years.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court seemed divided Tuesday over whether employers' religious beliefs can free them from a part of the new health care law that requires that they provide coverage of birth control for employees at no extra charge.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Hope is fading for a Capitol Hill drive to permanently fix Medicare's outdated payment formula and spare doctors from automatic cuts in their fees next month. Now the question is whether lawmakers can regroup and come up with a short-term solution when the current patch expires.

CHICAGO (AP) – For uninsured people, the nation's new health care law may offer an escape from worry about unexpected, astronomical medical bills. But for Stephanie Payne of St. Louis, who already had good insurance, the law could offer another kind of escape: the chance to quit her job.

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. employers advertised slightly more jobs in January than in December, a sign that hiring should remain steady in coming months.

The Labor Department said Tuesday that employers posted 3.9 million job openings, up 1.5 percent from December. That is still below November's nearly six-year high of 4.1 million, the first month that openings topped 4 million since March 2008.

Last year, Howard University’s Alternative Spring Break program came to Memphis for the first time with the help of Whitehaven graduate and Howard student Ayanna McFarland.

This year McFarland, a junior at Howard, has returned and brought almost 50 students with her. There is no beach and there are no mountains, but, as McFarland knows too well from having grown up here, there are educational hills to climb.

Memphis Botanic Garden will host the official Tennessee Arbor Day Celebration Friday, March 7, at 10 a.m. at the garden, 750 Cherry Road. The city of Memphis will be recognized for earning the Tree City USA designation, and seedlings will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis. Cost is free. Visit memphisbotanicgarden.com.

Last year, I injured my left ring finger. Despite treatment, it got worse. By year’s end, it was popping each time I opened my hand. And hurting like crazy when I squeezed my hand shut. My family doc diagnosed “trigger finger” and assured me minor surgery could fix it.

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) – A majority of federal health experts said Tuesday that new research is not strong enough to conclude that naproxen, the pain reliever in Aleve and many other medications, is safer on the heart than rival drugs used by millions of Americans to treat arthritis and everyday aches and pains.

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. construction spending rose in November at the strongest pace in more than four years, driven by solid gains in home construction and commercial projects.

The Commerce Department said construction spending increased 1 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $934.4 billion. That's the fastest rate since March 2009 and a slight improvement on the revised 0.9 percent gain in October.

Standard & Poor’s, one of the big three bond-rating agencies, has assigned a AA rating to the city’s general obligation bonds and the revenue bonds proposed for use in a city purchase of AutoZone Park, and has given the city’s financial health a “stable” outlook on both fronts.

WASHINGTON (AP) – A cross Congress ended its business for the year Friday as the Senate approved a new boss for the troubled Internal Revenue Service but remained slowed and bitterly riven over majority Democrats' weakening of Republicans' power to filibuster.

Construction documents for the ambitious Sears Crosstown redevelopment project have hit the street.

Memphis-based Grinder, Taber & Grinder Inc. is serving as the general contractor for the $180 million project, and bids for subcontracting work on everything from electrical systems to plumbing went out this week.

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama's choice to head the Internal Revenue Service told senators Tuesday he will work to restore public trust in the agency in the wake of the tea party scandal even as the IRS takes on new responsibilities administering the president's health care law.

WASHINGTON (AP) – More troubles for the health care overhaul. Subsidies to help people buy insurance under the law may be vulnerable to fraud, a Treasury Department watchdog said Tuesday in a report suggesting that concerns about the law are far from over.

Church Health Center Wellness is expanding its medical presence within its 80,000-square-foot wellness and fitness center as part of an increasingly integrated health care philosophy, adding five exam rooms to accommodate demand from its uninsured, working patient population.

Seedco is a national nonprofit whose mission statement since 1987 has been “to advance economic opportunity for people, businesses and communities in need.”

This is done, says Lisa Pote, senior vice president for Seedco’s Mid-South regional office, by working with individuals and businesses, and within the communities themselves, “to be a contribution to the communities that we’re in.” Seedco has been working within Shelby County since 2004, and has 30 employees.

NASHVILLE (AP) – When a third-grade student who had been stung by a wasp developed welts on his neck and had trouble breathing, school nurse Amanda Williams had the necessary dose of epinephrine to counter the allergic reaction.

With a new owner in place, Memphis Business Interiors (MBI) anticipates little change to its operations – but it does expect to grow.

New owner Rhonda Bradley said the only changes she has in sight for the 18-year-old office design firm are “adding new areas, strengthening service in areas we cover currently and growing in training and development of current employees.”

Dr. Karen Weddle-West, dean of the graduate school, vice provost for academic affairs and director of diversity initiatives at the University of Memphis, has been voted chair-elect of the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) Board. The national board establishes all policies for the GRE program, the most widely used graduate-school admissions test, and oversees GRE assessments, services and research.

Baptist Memorial Health Care’s Select Health Alliance has named Dr. Henry Sullivant as its first chief medical officer. Sullivant will lead the physician-led clinical integration project, with the mission to deliver a better insurance care model that will then go to the marketplace as a collaborative effort between a physician group and a hospital.

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. banks earned more from April through June than during any quarter on record, aided by a steep drop in losses from bad loans.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. says the banking industry earned $42.2 billion in the second quarter, up 23 percent from the second quarter of 2012. About 54 percent of U.S. banks reported improved earnings from a year earlier.

Shelby County Commissioners consider an events center for Spring Creek Ranch golf course Monday, Aug. 5, as well as a mixed-use commercial site at Austin Peay Highway and Millington-Arlington Road by First Citizens National Bank.

The House on Wednesday was expected to give final congressional approval to bipartisan legislation linking student loan interest rates to the financial markets. The impact: lower rates for most students now but higher ones down the line if the economy improves as expected.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Borrowing for tuition, housing and books would be less expensive for college students and their parents this fall but the costs would start climbing almost immediately under a deal the Senate was poised to pass Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) – A bipartisan compromise on student loans promises better deals for students and parents over the next few years but could spell higher rates as the economy improves.

The Senate deal pegs the interest rates on new loans to the financial markets and was expected to come to a vote next week, well before students returning to campus this fall had to sign their loan agreements.

Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. on Thursday, July 11, held a groundbreaking celebration to commemorate beginning construction on a new pediatric emergency department at Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. economy may not be strong enough for the Federal Reserve to slow its bond purchases later this year.

That's the takeaway from economists after the government cut its estimate Wednesday of growth in the January-March quarter to a 1.8 percent annual rate, sharply below its previous estimate of a 2.4 percent rate. The main reason: Consumers spent less than previously thought.

NEW YORK (AP) – In the latest sign that Americans are feeling better about the overall economy, stores across the country had a pickup in sales in May.

An improving job picture, better housing market and stock market rallies have all led to consumer confidence reaching five-year highs. That has left Americans a bit more likely to reach into their pockets and spend, as monthly revenue reports released by national retailers on Thursday show.

AutoZone Inc.’s just-ended fiscal third quarter results show why it’s a rarity among public companies.

The Memphis-based auto parts retailer – the nation’s largest in the sector – is an earnings machine. Net sales were $2.2 billion for the quarter, and profit was up 6.8 percent to $265.6 million. The quarter also included AutoZone’s 27th straight period of double-digit earnings-per-share quarterly growth.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. economy showed last month why it remains the envy of industrialized nations: In the face of tax increases and federal spending cuts, employers added a solid 165,000 jobs in April – and far more in February and March than anyone thought.

A measure of the U.S. economy’s future health declined slightly in March, signaling that growth could slow this spring.

The Conference Board says its index of leading indicators dipped 0.1 percent last month to 94.7. That’s the first decline after three months of gains. The gauge is designed to anticipate economic conditions three to six months out.

A measure of the U.S. economy’s future health declined slightly in March, signaling that growth could slow this spring.

The Conference Board says its index of leading indicators dipped 0.1 percent last month to 94.7. That’s the first decline after three months of gains. The gauge is designed to anticipate economic conditions three to six months out.